Tag: Proposed Developments

08/17/16 1:15pm

Memorial Dr. Baskin Robbins Strip’s Planned Departure Could Make Bank, Retail, Parking Spaces

Memorial, Memorial Bend

6 Comments

12740 Memorial Dr., Memorial, Houston, 77024 A few readers have written in regardingÂ the fate of the Baskin Robbins and its retail strip neighbors atÂ 12740 Memorial Dr., just south of Town and Country Mall. The building which housed the now-closed scoop shop along with Katy defector Anne’s Salon on Memorial and the local branch of More Hands Maid Service appears slated for a full tear-down and do-over (along with freestanding A-1 Cleaners next door), if plans from Streetwise Retail Advisor’s leasing flier are still on the mark:

Memorial Bends

77024, Demolition, Memorial, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Retail

Briargrove

08/09/16 12:15pm

Houston Housing Authority Authority Resigns In Wake of Briargrove Mixed-Income Kerfuffle

Freeways and Toll Roads, Midtown, Proposed Developments, Quicklink

Quicklink

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HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY AUTHORITY RESIGNS IN WAKE OF BRIARGROVE MIXED-INCOME KERFUFFLE Proposed Housing Development at 2640 Fountainview Dr., Briargrove, Houston, 77057 By both letter and Tweet, Houston Housing Authority chairman Lance Gilliam has announced plans to resign early following Mayor Turner’s criticism of the agency last week, writes Erin Mulvaney. During Wednesday’sÂ council meeting, TurnerÂ chided the agency for not having constructed new housing units in the past decade (though Gilliam’s Friday resignation letter notes that thousands of additional people have been added to the organization’s voucher program). The agency has had the majority of its recent proposed construction projects blockedÂ following last year’s US Supreme Court decision, which struck down Texas’s systemÂ of awarding public housing project tax credits because it was found toÂ promoteÂ racial segregation into low-income areasÂ (deliberately or not). The Briargrove project, which involved replacing one of the Houston Housing Authority’s own Fountain View office buildingsÂ with a mixed-income apartment complex, was the Houston agency’s first attempt to build new affordable units in a high-income area; following extensive neighborhood pushback, Turner asked the agency to look for other locations in the same area, andÂ blocked tax credit financing for the project by not bringingÂ it to a council vote.Â [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Rendering of proposed apartments at 2640 Fountain View Dr.: HHA

77057, Apartments, Briargrove, City Council, Houston Housing Authority, Low-Income-Housing, Proposed Developments, Tax-Credits

Downtown

08/04/16 4:30pm

The Odds on a Pierce Elevated Comedown

by Swamplot

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THE ODDS ON A PIERCE ELEVATED COMEDOWN Map of Proposed I-45 Rerouting, Downtown Houston Writing in theÂ latest issue of Texas Architect magazine — which is now debuting a redone website with a new web address and a new all-articles-are-now free policy — Ben Koush surveys the prospects for the raised section of I-45 nowÂ dividing Midtown fromÂ Downtown:Â “While there have been some plans floated around to convert the decommissioned section of the Pierce Elevated into Houstonâ€™s version of the Highline, most people I spoke with didnâ€™t think that was going to happen, simply because TxDOT needs the money it could get from selling that right of way to private developers. Some still hold out hope that at least some of the land or maybe even a small section of the elevated roadway could be made into a public green space.” [Texas Architect; previously on Swamplot]Â Plan of “currently approved scheme” for I-45 rerouting around downtown, showing possible green space: SWA Group

Downtown, Freeways, I-45, Midtown, Pierce Elevated, Proposed Developments

Buying and Selling

08/02/16 11:45am

Land Purchases Beginning Along Proposed Houston-to-Dallas Bullet Train Route

by Swamplot

Eminent Domain, Proposed Developments, Public Transportation, Quicklink

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LAND PURCHASES BEGINNING ALONG PROPOSED HOUSTON-TO-DALLAS BULLET TRAIN ROUTE Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo Osaka Line Texas Central Railway’s CEO tells Realty News Report’s Ralph Bivins that owners of some propertiesÂ in the projected path of the planned Houston-to-Dallas 200mph rail line have already agreed to sell their land to the company, which is hoping to get started on construction of the 90-minute route next year. Tim B. Keith says he’s “encouraged with the progress” of what he refers to asÂ the project’s “voluntary land purchase program.” He notes that “Texasâ€™ Constitution and state statutes have long granted eminent domain authority to railroads such as Texas Central, as well as pipeline companies, electric power companies and other industries,” but calls eminent domainÂ “a last resort.” The line’s Houston station is now planned for “the area along the 610 Loop between 290 and I-10″ after a Federal Railroad Administration review rejectedÂ the idea of a Downtown stopÂ because of projected high costs and environmental impacts. [Realty News Report; Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot] Photo of Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo-Osaka line: Texas Central Railway

Buying and Selling, Eminent Domain, High-Speed Rail, Proposed Developments, Public Transportation

08/01/16 4:30pm

Once Bashful Heights Post Office Replacement Retail Now Willing To Step Up to the Street, Learn To Like Sidewalks

by Swamplot

Houston Heights, Mixed Use, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment, Retail

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Revised Plans for Heights Central Station, Heights Blvd. at 11th St., Houston Heights

Fresh from the architects (Kirksey), here are revised plans (above) for Heights Central Station, the retail-and-office center MFT Interests is planning for the site at the corner of Heights Blvd. and 11th St. (and Yale) in the Heights where the former main post office for the Heights still sits, awaiting its fate. And whaddya know, the strip-mall-style parking that in the previous plan for the new development was shown fronting Yale and 11th St. has now been stripped away, allowing twinÂ 10,000-ish-sq.-ft. 2-story buildings to front 11th St., right on up to the sidewalk:

Heights Station

77008, Houston Heights, Mixed Use, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment, Retail

07/21/16 1:15pm

HBDi Seeking Makeover Help for Palm Center at the End of the Purple Line

Third Ward

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Palm Center Redevelopment Conceptual Plans

Like the looks of the conceptual drawing above, showing one of the possible ways to dress up HBDi’sÂ Palm CenterÂ on Griggs Rd.? Or think you’ve got a better idea, and theÂ real estate connections to pull it off?Â Adolfo Pesquera notesÂ a currentÂ call for proposals from developers interested inÂ redoing the site — you’ve got until early October to submit your own plan.

The changes wouldn’t happen all at once: HBDi’s documents show that it hopes to split up theÂ work into a few different phases, dependent on how the economy looks. The first order of business would be to prettyÂ up the old buildings on the site; the next phaseÂ would includeÂ adding aÂ plaza and some office space, followed by the addition of whatever mix of office, retail, residential, and medical spaceÂ is eventually selected.Â Â Though most of the images included with the proposal guidelines are speculative, HBDi’s conceptual drawings doÂ show some of theÂ more concrete plans for the site, which is theÂ last stop on Metro’s Purple Line:

Rearranging The First Shopping Center

77021, Light-Rail, Palm Center, Proposed Developments, Southeast Houston, Third Ward, Transportation

Boulevard Oaks

07/20/16 1:30pm

Buckhead: Ashby Highrise Is Still Happening, But That’s Still Not Its Name

Quicklink

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BUCKHEAD: ASHBY HIGHRISE IS STILL HAPPENING, BUT THAT’S STILL NOT ITS NAME Ashby Highrise, 1717 Bissonnet St., Boulevard Oaks, Houston Chronicle reporters Nancy Sarnoff and Erin Mulvaney spend some time on this week’s Looped In podcast dissecting some circuitous answers from Matthew Morgan and Kevin Kirton, developers of the multifamily project commonly knownÂ as the Ashby Highrise (which, as Morgan is quick to point out, has never been dubbed anything other than 1717 BissonnetÂ except by neighborhood opposition campaigners). In the wake of Buckhead’s recent court appeal victory, Â the duo ofÂ duosÂ touches on theÂ project’s permitting history with the city, the ambiguous but active state of current plans, and the unexpected financial and emotional tolls of pushing a project forward through an unprecedented decade ofÂ protests (ranging fromÂ giant personalized signage aimed at the pair to thatÂ grim reaper sightingÂ on Bissonnet).Â Â [Looped In Podcast from the Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Rendering of 1717 Bissonnet St.:Â Buckhead Investment Partners

77005, Ashby Highrise, Boulevard-Oaks, Lawsuits, Neighborhood Disputes, Proposed Developments

07/19/16 5:30pm

The Glittering 5-Story Affordable Housing Thinktank Bubble That Could Rise by Emancipation Park

Third Ward

25 Comments

Update, 7/20: The renderings and description have been removed from both LAI’s website and the online portfolio website where they were previously displayed. At the request of the architect, Swamplot has removed the images as well; this article has been updated.

AÂ glassy sphere shown in aÂ rendering ~~currently~~ previously displayed on theÂ website ofÂ Colorado-basedÂ LAI Design GroupÂ looked to be part of a design for aÂ nonprofit workspace and affordable housing thinktank called the Coleman Global Center.Â An attached description of the projectÂ ~~doesn’t~~ didn’t specificallyÂ identify the location of theÂ rendering (beyond noting that project is “in Houston”). But another rendered view of the project ~~(posted to porfolio site Behance)~~ showed the bubble right across Dowling St. from theÂ almost-finished new community center at Emancipation Park (and its easy-to-identifyÂ reflection pool) at the corner with Elgin.Â And Leah Binkovitz’s May interviewÂ with stateÂ representativeÂ Garnet Coleman and a set of collaborating Third Ward nonprofit directors ambiguously highlights that particular cornerÂ as playing an important role in plans to shiftÂ how gentrification unfolds in the neighborhood.

~~Compare the renderingÂ below (which shows the bubble building in place) to architect Phil Frelon’sÂ angled aerialÂ rendering of Emancipation Park (included further below):~~

77004, Affordable Housing, Architecture, Midtown Redevelopment Authority, Nonprofit-Development, Nonprofits, Proposed Developments, Third Ward

Third Ward

07/15/16 11:30am

Last Traces of the Glass House Midrise Vanish from Montrose Blvd.

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3516 Montrose Blvd., First Montrose Commons, Houston, 77006

A reader’s aerial snapshot shows that the site of the former River Cafe at the corner of Montrose and Marshall St. is now empty once again, following the removal of all objectionably large signage advertising Riverway’s recently shelved condo midrise project. Riverway went through 2 different designs at the site, swapping the original renderings in 2014 for aÂ larger and sleekerÂ structure thematically tied (at least by the choice of architecture firm) to Philip Johnson’s Glass House. The writing was off the wallÂ by early summer; Riverway officially told the HBJ that the project was off at the end of June.

Houston developer shelves plans for luxury Montrose condos [HBJ]
Previously on Swamplot: Signs of the Glass House Montrose Condo Midrise Fading Away;Â Bigger Condo Building Now Planned for River Cafe Spot on Montrose Blvd. Has Bigger Site, Bigger Name Architecture Firm;Â Developer Says Proposed Garage Wall Streetfront for 3615 Montrose Condo Tower Will Be Green or Arty, Not Blank;Â Latest Condo Building Planned for Former River Cafe Spot Offers Montrose Blvd. a Garage Wall Streetfront;Â Daily Demolition Report: Swept Away

Photo of 3516 Montrose Blvd.: Swamplot inbox

Mowed Down on Marshall St.

77006, Condos, First Montrose Commons, Midrises, Proposed Developments, Sales Centers, Signs

07/14/16 11:30am

Fifties Mod Condos Slated for Midrise Swapout on Revere St.

River Oaks

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River Oaks Manor Condos, 2325 Welch St., River Oaks, Houston, 77019

The above corner of Welch and Revere streets, which currently holds the 2-storyÂ River Oaks ManorÂ condo complex, looks to be trading up forÂ a much taller occupant: a 9-story condo midrise going by the name The Revere at River Oaks. A 6-story condo midrise project called Revere Park was previously planned at the corner of Mimosa and Revere, one block to the south; that project was denied several variance requests by the city last year, with objecting residents claiming the area couldn’t handle increased density.

River Oaks Manor (which is itself outside the boundaries of River Oaks) sits on a narrow rhomboidal lot to the southeast of the intersection; the building footprint’s slightly acute and obtuse angles are complemented by sets of triangular windows on several corner units. Kirksey Architecture’s design for the proposed midrise structure seems to stick more firmly rectilinear shapes, however:

Avalon Place

77019, Condos, Mid-Century Modern, Midrises, Proposed Developments, River Oaks

07/12/16 1:30pm

Asbestos-Laden Mod Code Enforcement Office Now Getting Swapped for Mixed Use Highrise on Main St.

Midtown

6 Comments

The 1967 occupant of 3300 Main St., which previously housed theÂ city code enforcement office, is currently getting its asbestos removed in anticipation of its impending demolition, according to a reader involved in the work. The structure and its parking lot grounds were bought from the city in 2011 by the Midtown Redevelopment Authority, who started trying to sell it in 2014; PM RealtyÂ (the developers of the glass-petticoated apartment tower at 2929 Weslayan, who are also currentlyÂ working on the less-is-more-brandedÂ Ivy Lofts tiny condo complex in East Downtown) put the property under contract that year.

What’s going to take the code building’s place,Â between the new MATCH box theater collection and the Houston Community College buildings to the north on Main St.? The involved reader confirms thatÂ the rendering below shows the current design in placeÂ along theÂ light rail line; materials from AECOM (a partner in the project) say the highrise should hold 336 apartments and 14,390 sq.ft. of retail space:

Trading Up in Midtown

77002, Asbestos, Demolition, Highrises, Mid-Century Modern, Midtown, Proposed Developments

Bars and Clubs

07/08/16 3:15pm

Drag Show Jumps Out of the Way of Bicycle-Themed Parking Garage as Meteor Lounge Shuts Down

East Montrose, Fairview, Openings and Closings

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Fairview + Mason renderings

Meteor, 2306 Genesee St, Montrose, Houston So You Think You Can DragÂ hit the stage at Â South BeachÂ last night — a permanent move for the event in the wake of Â Wednesday‘s permanent closure of Meteor Lounge at 2306 Genesee St. The bar and semi-aquatic drag and dance venueÂ had been renting its spaceÂ back temporarily while developer Fred Sharifi worked on designs and permits for the redevelopment of the East Montrose neighborhood around Fairview Ave. and Mason St.; Adolfo Pesquera noted in early AprilÂ that the project (under the nameÂ Fairview + Mason) had been granted a variance request.

TheÂ application for thatÂ request included the drawing above of the 6-story parking garage that’s planned to replaceÂ Meteor; the exterior, perhaps followingÂ Rice University’s lead on parking garage modesty coverings, appears to be artfully encrusted with bicycles, with the words MONT and ROSE emblazoned beneath.

The variance request asked the city for permission to cross some building setback lines and to add some canopies along 2 different blocks on Fairview — the site plan below points them out, catty-cornered betweenÂ the block holding the Mason St. electrical substation and the block holding Max’s Wine Dive, Cuchara, and Flow:

Farewell on Fairview

77006, Bars, Openings and Closings, Parking-Garages, Proposed Developments, Redevelopment

Downtown

07/08/16 12:45pm

Skanska Will Get Out of the Tunnels, But Won’t Budge Upward on Capitol Tower Until Economy Goes First

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Capitol Tower Tunnel Closures
The connections to the Downtown tunnel system beneath the planned future site ofÂ 35-story Capitol Tower at 811 Rusk St. should reopen by the end of the year, a Skanska representative tells Swamplot, though a hard date hasn’t been set yet.Â Â The developer told Cara SmithÂ of the HBJÂ last month that the bulk of theÂ projectÂ wouldn’t go forwardÂ until leasing conditions look better, regardless ofÂ theÂ explosive evictionÂ of the former Houston Club building from the site, and last August’s foundationÂ pour. The closures have cut off 601 Travis, the rebranding formerÂ Gulf Building, and all 3 of the buildings tangled up inÂ that Hines-Linbeck-Houston-Chronicle tunnel lawsuit from the rest of the system since work on the spot first started in 2014.Â Take a look atÂ the once-and-future underground crossroads in broader context:

Under Downtown

77002, Downtown, Downtown Tunnel System, Highrises, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Skyscrapers

Proposed Developments

07/08/16 10:00am

Mayor Turner Wants a Theme Park in the Middle of Houston Again